Central Empowered Committee to inspect Mohali villages over forest, wildlife violations

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Acting on a complaint regarding violation of forest and wildlife laws in villages, such as Karoran, Nada, Masol, and adjoining areas in Mohali district, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court, is scheduled to visit the region on Monday at 9 am.
The CEC will assess the extent of damage caused to forest land, wildlife and the local environment. It will also evaluate the timely action taken by government departments, and based on its findings, will recommend appropriate measures.
The said villages under scrutiny fall within areas governed by the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900. These areas are also protected under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Supreme Court's orders.
Even during the process of delisting certain areas from protected status, the court had explicitly banned any commercial activity without prior approval from the Government of India.
Despite these restrictions, large-scale violations—particularly illegal hill-cutting—have allegedly continued unabated for several years. These activities have led to the degradation of ecologically sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas in the Shivalik Hills.
Environmentalists and local residents have accused the forest department, district administration and urban agencies like Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), along with panchayati raj institutions, of failing to prevent these encroachments, raising concerns over the alleged influence of the land mafia in the region.
The Shivalik forests are known for their ecological significance, and are home to many endangered plant and animal species, several of which are listed as threatened under the (International Union for Conservation of Nature) IUCN Red List.
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) was constituted by the Supreme Court of India in 2002 (and reconstituted in 2008) to assist in matters related to forest, wildlife conservation and flag cases of official non-compliance with its orders related to conservation. It reports to the Union environment ministry.
The committee came into existence after a landmark Supreme Court judgment, dated December 12, 1996, in a 1995 case.
The apex court ruled that the term 'forest' should be interpreted in its dictionary sense, regardless of land ownership. This means any land that is forest in character on the ground must be treated as such and cannot be used for non-forest activities without prior approval from the Government of India, in accordance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and other applicable laws.